Deep Ecliptic Survey

Minor planets discovered: 9 [1]
19521 Chaos 19 November 1998 list
28978 Ixion 22 May 2001 list
38083 Rhadamanthus 17 April 1999 list
(42301) 2001 UR163 21 October 2001 list
53311 Deucalion 18 April 1999 list
54598 Bienor 27 August 2000 list
88611 Teharonhiawako 20 August 2001 list
148780 Altjira 20 October 2001 list
(361701) 2007 VZ171 24 November 2003 list

The Deep Ecliptic Survey (DES) is a project to find Kuiper belt objects (KBOs), using the facilities of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The principal investigator is Robert L. Millis.

Since 1998 through the end of 2003, the survey covered 550 square degrees with sensitivity of 22.5, which means an estimated 50% of objects of this magnitude have been found.

The survey has also established the mean Kuiper Belt plane and introduced new formal definitions of the dynamical classes of Kuiper belt objects.[2]

The remarkable first observations and/or discoveries include:[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 4 September 2016. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  2. ^ Elliot, J. L.; Kern, S. D.; Clancy, K. B.; Gulbis, A. A. S.; Millis, R. L.; Buie, M. W.; et al. (February 2005). "The Deep Ecliptic Survey: A Search for Kuiper Belt Objects and Centaurs. II. Dynamical Classification, the Kuiper Belt Plane, and the Core Population". The Astronomical Journal. 129 (2): 1117–1162. Bibcode:2005AJ....129.1117E. doi:10.1086/427395.
  3. ^ Buie, M. W.; Millis, R. L.; Wasserman, L. H.; Elliot, J. L.; Kern, S. D.; Clancy, K. B.; et al. (June 2003). "Procedures, Resources and Selected Results of the Deep Ecliptic Survey". Earth, Moon, and Planets. 92 (1): 113–124. arXiv:astro-ph/0309251. Bibcode:2003EM&P...92..113B. doi:10.1023/B:MOON.0000031930.13823.be. S2CID 14820512.
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